Relationships between the perceived quality of life and the personality styles measured with the The Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised (MIPS-R)

This exploratory study aims to determine whether the personality styles measured with the Portuguese adaptation of Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised, MIPS-R affect the perceived quality of life. The MIPS-R is a theory-based inventory that measures 24 personality styles in normally functioning adults. Life satisfaction was measured with the Portuguese version of the Quality of Life Inventory, QOLI (Fagulha, Duarte & Miranda, 2000). It refers to a person’s subjective evaluation of the degree to which his/her most important needs, goals and wishes have been fulfilled. This study was carried out with a sample of 43 college students, 36 females (age mean = 19,7; SD = 3,1) and 7 males (age mean = 27,4; SD = 11,4). Based on the participants’ overall life satisfaction score three groups were defined: (1) Low/Very Low quality of life, (2) Average quality of life, (3) High quality of life. Discriminant Factor Analysis (DFA) and the Kruskal-Wallis Test were used to identify the styles that most differentiate these groups and to compare each style in the groups. The Other-Nurturing style is the one that best differentiates the groups. DFA results will be further exploited. Considering the Kruskal-Wallis Test, differences are observed in the Pleasure-Enhancing (p=.006), the Actively Modifying (p=.002), the Gregarious/Outgoing (p=.012), the Passively Accommodating (p=.027), the Asocial/Withdrawing (p=.036), the Unconventional/Dissenting (p=.041) and in the Dissatisfied/Complaining (p=.019) styles. Multiple comparisons were used to compare these styles in the groups. The authors believe that the discussion of these results will provide a better understanding of the MIPS-R.Instituto de Psicologia das Relações Humana

Estilos de personalidade e vulnerabilidade à sugestão no contexto de uma relação interpessoal

A compreensão do papel das diferenças individuais na exactidão dos testemunhos, em particular na sugestionabilidade, é o objectivo deste trabalho. Consideramos que existem diferenças individuais na vulnerabilidade à sugestão e que estas se relacionam com características da personalidade dos indivíduos. Uma amostra de 258 indivíduos (média de idades de 31.8 anos, desvio padrão de 12.0), participou em sessões individuais e respondeu às adaptações portuguesas da Escala de Sugestionabilidade de Gudjonsson (GSS1) e da Edição Revista do Índice de Estilos da Personalidade de Millon (MIPS-R). Consideraram-se três grupos com diferentes graus de vulnerabilidade à sugestão: pouco sugestionáveis, moderadamente sugestionáveis, muito sugestionáveis. Na Análise Factorial Discriminante (AFD), observa-se que os estilos do MIPS-R que melhor discriminam os grupos são: Realista/Sensitivo(a), Imaginativo(a)/Intuitivo(a), Orientado(a) pelo pensamento, Cooperante/Condescendente. Na Análise de Variância Multivariada (MANOVA) verifica-se um efeito significativo, de média dimensão, da vulnerabilidade à sugestão sobre os estilos do MIPS-R, sendo elevada a potência do teste (λMaior Raiz de Roy = .22, p = .005, η2p = .18, π = .99). Os resultados da AFD e da MANOVA são consistentes e evidenciam a importância dos estilos de personalidade da dimensão modos cognitivos, na caracterização de pessoas com diferentes graus de vulnerabilidade à sugestão

Personality Styles and Suggestibility: A Differential Approach

This study addresses the relationship between personality styles measured with the Portuguese adaptation of the Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised – MIPS-R and interrogative suggestibility assessed by the Portuguese adaptation of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale – GSS1. Hypotheses predicted individual differences in suggestibility and that these differences correspond to differences in individuals’ personality styles. The study was conducted with a sample of 258 individuals (M age = 31.8 years, SD = 12.0). Results showed that there were individual differences in suggestibility and that these differences corresponded to certain personality characteristics, mainly related to the Thinking Styles and some Behaving Styles

Portuguese adaptation of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales (GSS1 and GSS2): empirical findings

In study 1 (n = 51, M age = 21.4 years, SD = 5.7), the validity of the Portuguese adaptation of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales (Pires, 2011) was shown through the comparison of means of the original (Gudjonsson, 1997) and the translated scales and the analysis of the correlations between the GSS1 and GSS2 scores. The relationships between interrogative suggestibility and the big five were also addressed and the results point to independence between suggestibility and personality, which is in line with Polczyk’s findings (2005). Study 2 (n = 87, M age = 48.9 years, SD = 20.7) explored the relationships among interrogative suggestibility, the state-trait anxiety and demographic variables (i.e., age and gender). There were no significant relationships between anxiety and suggestibility. These results are in line with other studies that point to a lack of relationship between suggestibility and anxiety in normal samples (Polczyk, 2005; Wolfradt & Meyer, 1998). As for the relationships between age and interrogative suggestibility, ANCOVA confirmed that the increased suggestibility in old age was not due to age differences but rather to the limited memory capacity of the older adults group. There were no significant gender differences in the GSS1 subscales

Efeito do tratamento com ketoconazole por um mês na liberação de GH, cortisol e ACHT após administração de GHrelin, GHRP-6 e GHRH em pacientes com síndrome de cushing

GH responses to ghrelin, GHRP-6, and GHRH in Cushing s disease (CD) are markedly blunted. There is no data about the effect of reduction of cortisol levels with steroidogenesis inhibitors, like ketoconazole, on GH secretion in CD. ACTH levels during ketoconazole treatment are controversial. The aims of this study were to compare the GH response to ghrelin, GHRP-6, and GHRH, and the ACTH and cortisol responses to ghrelin and GHRP-6 before and after one month of ketoconazole treatment in 6 untreated patients with CD. Before treatment peak GH (mg/L; mean ± SEM) after ghrelin, GHRP-6, and GHRH administration was 10.0 ± 4.5; 3.8 ± 1.6, and 0.6 ± 0.2, respectively. After one month of ketoconazole there was a significant decrease in urinary cortisol values (mean reduction: 75%), but GH responses did not change (7.0 ± 2.0; 3.1 ± 0.8; 0.9 ± 0.2, respectively). After treatment, there was a significant reduction in cortisol (mg/dL) responses to ghrelin (before: 30.6 ± 5.2; after: 24.2 ± 5.1). No significant changes in ACTH (pg/mL) responses before (ghrelin: 210.9 ± 69.9; GHRP-6: 199.8 ± 88.8) and after treatment (ghrelin: 159.7 ± 40.3; GHRP-6: 227 ± 127.2) were observed. In conclusion, after short-term ketoconazole treatment there are no changes in GH or ACTH responses, despite a major decrease of cortisol levels. A longer period of treatment might be necessary for the recovery of pituitary function.Na doença de Cushing (DC), as respostas do GH à ghrelina, ao GHRP-6 e ao GHRH estão diminuídas. Não existem dados sobre o efeito da redução dos níveis de cortisol, após cetoconazol, na secreção de GH na DC. Nessa situação, os níveis de ACTH são variáveis. Os objetivos do estudo são comparar as respostas do GH à administração de ghrelina, GHRP-6 e GHRH, e de ACTH e cortisol à ghrelina e ao GHRP-6 antes e após um mês de tratamento com cetoconazol em 6 pacientes com DC não tratados. Antes do tratamento, o pico de GH (mg/L; média ± EPM) após a administração de ghrelina, GHRP-6 e GHRH foi de 10,0 ± 4,5; 3,8 ± 1,6 e 0,6 ± 0,2, respectivamente. Após um mês de cetoconazol, ocorreu diminuição significante do cortisol urinário (redução média: 75%), mas as respostas de GH permaneceram inalteradas (7,0 ± 2,0; 3,1 ± 0,8; 0,9 ± 0,2, respectivamente). Após o tratamento, houve redução da resposta de cortisol (mg/dL) à ghrelina (antes: 30,6 ± 5,2; após: 24,2 ± 5,1), mas não ocorreram mudanças nas respostas de ACTH (pg/mL) (ghrelina antes: 210,9 ± 69,9; após: 159,7 ± 40,3; GHRP-6 antes: 199,8 ± 88,8; após: 227 ± 127,2). Assim, o tratamento a curto prazo com cetoconazol não modificou as respostas de GH ou ACTH, apesar da redução do cortisol. Para a recuperação da função hipofisária deve ser necessário um período de tratamento maior.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Division of EndocrinologyUNIFESP, Division of EndocrinologySciEL

Modeled Saharan desert dust radiative effects over the Iberian Peninsula and Atlantic ocean

Ponencia presentada en: XXXI Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XI Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Sevilla, del 1 al 3 de marzo de 2010.The work was funded by the Portuguese FCT through grant SFRH/BD/27870/2006 and through project PTDC/CTE-ATM/65307/2006

Aerobic physical exercise versus dual-task cognitive walking in cognitive rehabilitation of people with stroke: a randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Stroke is a neurological deficit caused by an acute focal injury to the central nervous system due to vascular injury that can result in loss of neurological function, lasting brain damage, long-term disability and, in some cases, death. The literature reports that aerobic physical exercise, as well as dual-task cognitive walking, are used for the cognitive recovery of people with stroke. We aimed to assess whether aerobic physical exercise influences post-stroke cognitive recovery, namely performance on selective and sustained attention. We tested the hypothesis that post-stroke aerobic physical exercise leads to more significant gains than post-stroke dual-task cognitive walking. Methods: We used a Randomized Clinical Trial, single-blind, parallel group, to verify the existence of differences between two groups. A total of 34 patients with subacute to chronic stroke were divided into two groups to train three times a week for 12 weeks: the aerobic physical exercise (PE) group engaged in 20 min on a treadmill, 20 min on a stationary bicycle and 5 min on a desk bike pedal exerciser per session; the dual-task (DT) gait exercise group walked for 45 min while simultaneously performing cognitive tasks per session. All participants were assessed on cognitive functioning with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and d2 Test of Attention before acute interventions and post interventions. We have also applied a Visual Analog Scale to monitor the participants’ perceived difficulty, pre-, post-acute, and post-chronic interventions. Participants also responded to a Borg Scale of perceived exertion following the acute and the final session of chronic training. Results: A mixed model ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with a large effect size for most of the cognitive variables under study. The variables associated with the d2 Test of Attention showed significant differences between the groups, mainly from T0 to T2. Also for MMSE, an ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with significant improvements from T0 to T2. Our results strongly suggest that aerobic physical exercise is more beneficial than dual-task cognitive-gait exercise since in the PE group, cognitive attention scores increase, and cognitive impairment and perception of exertion decrease, compared to the DT group. Conclusion: These findings support that PE provides more significant benefits for patients post-stroke when compared to DT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cognitive benefits of exercise: is there a time-of-day effect?

It is well established that physical activity benefits cognition. Further, the time of day one engages in physical activity has been suggested to influence cognition. Here, we aimed to understand if there is a time-of-day effect (morning or afternoon) of physical activity on cognition, i.e., if exercising in the morning or afternoon might bring greater cognitive benefits. A total of 56 participants were allocated to one of two groups with the same baseline cognitive performance as well as fitness level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire—IPAQ): 27 to the morning intervention (M) group; and 29 to the afternoon intervention (A) group. In both groups, the participants engaged in an intermittent recovery test (Yo-yo), 4 times a week for 12 weeks. All participants were assessed with the d2 Test of Attention and the Borg scale of perceived exertion pre- and post- acute and chronic intervention. After the first bout of exercise and after 12 weeks, we observed cognitive improvements both in the M and A groups. Surprisingly, we do not find differences between the time of day regarding cognitive benefits. Our results do not support the existence of a time-of-day effect for the attentional cognitive benefits of exercise.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio